Page 97 of If You're Reading This
None of them were safe.
“Stay alert,” Logan said. “Travel in pairs when possible. And keep your radios on at all times.”
Murmurs of acknowledgement sounded around him.
He checked his watch. “I’m heading to Winters’ office. Andi, Duke, how long do you need to work on the location?”
“Give us a few hours,” Andi said. “If this tree is findable, we’ll locate it.”
As the team began to disperse, Logan took one last look at the pier where Dr. Winters had died.
The killer was getting bolder, more confident.
But he was also taking greater risks.
Eventually, that confidence would be his downfall. Logan just prayed they could find Morgan before the killer’s grand finale, whatever that might be.
“Logan,” Reeves called as he headed toward his truck. “Be careful at Winters’ office. If the killer targeted him for a reason, there might be something there worth protecting.”
Logan nodded, his hand instinctively checking his sidearm. “I’ll watch my back.”
But as he drove toward town, he couldn’t shake the feeling that watching his back might not be enough. The killer had stayed ahead of them at every turn, anticipated their moves, and used their own tactics against them.
How did Logan catch someone who seemed to know what he was going to do before even he did?
CHAPTER
FIFTY-FOUR
Logan pushedthrough the glass doors of the medical complex, warrant folded in his jacket pocket. The familiar institutional smell hit him—disinfectant mixed with coffee and the faint scent of anxiety that seemed to permeate all medical facilities.
The receptionist looked up as he approached. Her pale gray eyes were rimmed with red, and her makeup—perfect just yesterday—was now smudged.
Rainey had clearly been crying.
“Trooper Gibson.” Her voice sounded just above a whisper. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
Logan pulled out the warrant and set it on her desk. “I’m sorry for your loss, Rainey. I know this is difficult. But I need to ask you some questions about Dr. Winters.”
She nodded, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “Anything that might help catch whoever did this.”
“What time did Dr. Winters leave the office yesterday?”
Rainey consulted her computer screen, though Logan suspected she already knew the answer. “His last appointment ended at six-thirty. Mrs. Patterson, his Thursday regular. Dr.Winters usually stayed another hour or so to finish notes, so he probably left around seven-thirty.”
“Did he mention any plans for the evening? Did he say he was meeting anyone?”
“No, nothing like that.” Rainey shook her head. “Dr. Winters mostly kept to himself. He wasn’t married and didn’t talk much about his personal life. He always remained very professional.”
Logan made a note. “Was there anything unusual about yesterday? Any unexpected calls, visitors, changes to his routine?”
Rainey was quiet a moment, thinking. “Other than you and your friend coming by? There was one thing. Around five o’clock, maybe a little after, someone called asking about his schedule. He wanted to know when Dr. Winters’ last appointment ended.”
Logan’s attention sharpened. “Did you recognize the voice?”
“No, it was a man, but I’d never heard him before. He said he was a colleague and that he needed to discuss a patient consultation.” She twisted the tissue in her hands. “I told him Dr. Winters would be free after six-thirty. I hope I didn’t . . . I mean, you don’t think . . .”
Logan lowered his voice as he tried to reassure her. “You couldn’t have known. Did he give a name?”
